Improved apparatus for carbureting air



PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD DUNsooMB, oF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, Assis-Nor.v To

rWILLIAM F. PERKINS AND L.

. IMPaovED APPARATUS L. FULLER, oFI SAME PLAGE.

Foa CARBURETING Aia.

Specification forming partgof Letters Patent No. 47,679, dated May 9, 1865.

To aZZwwm it may concern.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD DUNscoMB, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and Gommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedV Automatic Gas-Machine; and I do hereby declare `the following Ato be a full and exact description of the same, reference .being had to the accompanying drawings, of

Figure 1 is a side elevation of 'a machine constructed xn accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one of the gas- My invention consists, first, of an improved,

air'forcing bell to be applied to the gas-gener ator or vaporizer and, second, of the peculiar construction and application of the'gas generator. Y

In' the construction of automatic` gas-machines heretofore air to be carbureted or impregnated with naphtha, hydrocarbon, or other carbureting substance has been forced into the generator or vaporizer by means of a bellows, air-pump, bucket-wheel, 'or meter-wheel, which by their motions or revolutionsforce the air into, through,or over the carbureting substance n the generator, for the purpose of making gas, as in the patents of 0. PrDrake, August 30, 1853, May 6, 1862, and November l5, 1864 John Absterdam,J une 15,1858; E. S. Archer, September 6, 1864., and Levi Stevens, December 2,0, 1864. l i f 1 My method of supplying 'an air-.blast to the generator. is entirely different from any of the above, as will be seen from the following description.` l i n 'It consists in forcing the air into the gas generator by'means of the inverted bell or airholder C,` as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings,v

the power necessarytoforce the air down into the `'generator being obtained by the weight of saidnbellf?y Y' Intlie drawings, A, Fig. 2, denotes the igenerator ornvaporiz'er; B, the cistern to hold l water or other liquid in to which the air-bell C is placed, thus making an air-tight joint. vThe air is taken into the air-bell C by means of a valve, c, in the top orv crown of the bell C, Said valve opening as the bell ascends and closing as the bell descends. To obtain the steady rise and fall of this bell, it is suspended from a crank at the end of a revolving shaft, saidshaft being revolved by means of a weight attached to a cord wound round it. Each revolution ofthe sh aft lifts the bell nearly to the surface of the water, from which position the bell, now charged with air, is allowed to descend nearly tothe bottom of the cistern, forcing in its descent the air down into the generator A through tube E.

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of two bells, described as above, placed in their respective cisterns and covering each their respective generators or'vaporizers. Consequentlyveachv `revolution of the shaft raises `one bell nearly to the surfaceof the water in its cistern, and allows the other bell to descend-to the bottom of its cistern. By the continued revolution-ofthisshaft these operations are successively repeated, one bell receiving arenewed supply of air While the other is discharging.

This method of receiving, holding, and disf charging air is different from that claimed in the patent of Hugh McAvoy, dated Novemwords, an air-holder automatically charged an induction-pipe.

the one used by Simon'ds 8v Warner, which is described in their patent I of March 2 4, 1863, as an air-holder supplied withair" by means of a force-pump or other mechanical arrange-v ment,77 it being sim ply a reservoir for airfonced itself. y

`The filling of air-bells automatically by means of a valve, in connection. with the alternate rise and` fall of the bells by'means `of ashaft and Weight, substantially as mine is vention, and not before introduced or claimed. My-,invention also consists of a` new V and :improved generator or vaporizer so constructed as to force the air taken. into it for a long distance through the naphtha, hydrof ber .22, 1864that patent claiming, in its own and discharged by an eduction-siphon and` My air-bell orv air-holder'also dilers from' into it by any means separate from the bell described, is animportant feature in my ini ter and round the .tube E, The next conical disk, a2, is perforated in man' carbon', or carbureting substance, thus thoroughly carbureting the air.

Fig. 41's a vertical section of the generator on -an enlargedl scale. It consists of a hollow lcylinder divided into several chambers by a serios of cones, as hereinafter described.

A denotes a large chamber'in the top of the generator. -E is a tube, which opens through the top of the generator, extending a short distance up into the air-bell C, and del -s'eei ing nearly to the bottom of 'said gen-- ner similar to a, and so on alternately. 4The air-bell C, descending, forces the air down through the tube E and under the lowest conical disk, a. From thence the air rises through the perforations b, spreading as it rises over above it. Passing through the holes 4b', it

continues to rise, escaping in the same man;l y ner through the Vperforations in each succeeding conical disk till vit reaches the chamber A in the top of the generator and is carried oit' through pipe F to the. burners. This arrangement of conical disks so per-` forated, the perforations alternating inv the several disksv from lcenter to circumference,

-obliges'the air 'to cross and recross through the hydrocarbon liquid, and the -air becomes thus thoroughly saturated or impregnated with the hydrocarbon. This arrangement yalso enables me to obtain 'a 'very large surface for carburetiug the air within a short vertical distance or with but small depth ot' hydrocarbon liuid, requiring but small power to drive'the air down -throughthe hydrocarbon in tube E. From thence the air ascends in minute particles', passing backward and forward over and under the entire sur face" of each conical disk till it reaches the top of the-generators By this method I obtain far more carbureting-surtace than any machine -now used with equal propellingpower and equal depth of hydrocarbon, and

can use a denser hydrocarbon than has been used heretofore. By Athis method I am enl abled to manufacture gas from crude petroleum,instead of the products of its distillation.

The application and construction of the conical disks may be varied, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case, instead of air passing through the outer row of perforations in conical disk a, vit passes under `its edge, the'nce upward to the conical disk a above it, passing through the perforations in its center yor apex. The` upper conical disk in ea'ch case is made with an overhanging flange. v

the lower surface of the conical disk a', next.

,disks being full of Another feature in ymy y,f :enerator consists in the method o f taking the gasfrom the top ofthe generator. Most gas-machines take it out below, thus requiring an increased pressvure of air to force the gas downward, which by the laws of' gravity would naturally rise.

To take the gas from the top'of the generator, passing the same through the top 'or crown of the air-bell 0,' an air-tight joint is' required around gas-pipe F. I employ for this purpose aexibletube,'-'K, Fig. 2 made of cloth or material capable of being made air-tight and resisting the action of wateror'bther Huids., said flexible tube to be secured to the top of the generator and to the top `of the air-bell, and

to be of sufti'cient length 'tonllow the upward and downward motion of the airbell over pipeL F. Instead of this arrangement, when more desirable, I use a method as shown in Fig, 5. Secured to the top of air-bell C .is a deep an nular cup, O, surrounding the gas-pipeF, and secured to the top of airbell C. Into this cup O an inverted thimble, P, secured to pipe F,v

enters. This annular cup O, filled with water or any liquid, makes, with its inverted thimble P, surrounding pipe F,.an air-tight joint, thus preventing the escape. of air from the bell C and is'similar in operation to the bell lC and the cistern B, reversingthe motions'.

The generator is fed withy hydrocarbon through pipe F', the pipe commencing lat a point above the level of 4the hydrocarbon in the generator, which pipe F passes down near the side of the cistern B,.thence up through the bottom of cistern 'B into the bottom ofthe SupplyA pipe F- at its lowest point is provided with a stop-cock, for the purpose generator.

of emptying the'generator. y

The lower part of the generator is made with a small cistern,--T, which,'being lledwith hydrocarbon, forms an aircushion, en'

abling the air to be easily forced 'down and out of the tube F,to ascend through the conical disks a a a2, 83e., as shown by the arrows about T. If 'thel tube E came down close to the bottom'. of the generator, with nocushion for the'air to strike against, the'passal'ge of'f .air would be impeded. '.lo remedy this evil,

by raising the conical disks a greater distance from the bottom of the generator and shorten the tube E a larger quantity of hydrocarbonl through which the air would" must b e'used, not pass,and consequently for the purpose of making gas would be useless, besidesincreasing the size, and therefore` the cost, of

the machine;-

Not only is the construction of v.my genera; tor different from that claimed in the patent of Levi Stevens-'dated December 20, T864,

but the application is also different. That invention consists yof a hollow cylinder conflat and horizontal placed near the bottom, the otherlcoiijcal and placed near the top, the entire surfacefof both. small perforations.A Be-' several `layersof cloth. Passingup through the centerof this,`

taining two disks, one

tween these two disks are cylinder, through the Vcenters of these disks, and through these layers of cloth,is a tube,

whichopens through the top diskff-V d in4 the words of that patent, is for disc ging the hydrocarbon liquid directly upon said top, which, being conical, allows iheliquid to iiow radially from the tube and fall throughthe numerous perforations of .the top'(disk) infine streams, and on s trata 'of clothl piled on theperforated bottoml (disk) i* there being below said bottom and constitntin g part of the vanorizer an air-chamber, &c.

My generator orvaporizer differs from theabove as follows: It 'consistsof a hollow cyl, inder containing a series of cones or conical disks placedbase tol base and apex to apex.

Passing through the center of this cylinder,`

through the centers or axes of these cones" 'or conical disks, is an air-tube, E, downwhich the air inthe bell (3 iswforced, said tube E extending downward and opening through the lower surface of the bottom conical disk, a. The lentire surface of this conical disk a is not fullof small perforations, likethe disks in Stevens vaporizer, which would allow the air to rise directly up, as it 'does in Stevens vaporizer, but a line of perforation only .are

made surrounding or following it e edge or the circumference, as in Fig. 7, th'ls obliging the air to cross through the khydrocarbon liquid, covering the entire surface ofy said conical disk, in order to escape through the pcrforations near its circumference. vThe next conicaldisk above it, al', having a'line of per. .forations surroundingits center 'and round tube E, as seen in Fig. 6, again causes the air to pass through the hydrocarbon, covering the surface of that disk, so thatjn no instance can the air rise in a direct line. By this process, the perforations even beingat'thel highest point, andthusalternating in' the 'several disks, obliging the air inits ascent to cross and recross through the hydrocarbon, filling each chamber, and' thus coveringthe surface of each conical disk, the air becomes vmuch more thoroughly carbureted than it would in the direct ascent. By this comparison of the ftwo vaporzers or generators it is shown that to peri'orate the en tire surface ofthe cones or l conicaldisks in my vaporizer, like the top and bottom of Stevens vaporizer,'would de feat the object aimed at in the constructionof my vaporizer. The top of Steven's vaporizer is made conical, to allow theluid'to ow radially, &c.

rlhe disks in my vaporizer are made conical to cause the ai'r to ascend, which, in crossing from center to circumference to'escape through the perforations Ain each succeeding disk or partition, would lodge under saiddisks were they flat andhorizontal.

In the cons/traction of my vaporizer lsolar-geV a earbureting-surface do 1 obtain for-the pas# fsage of air thatv the air ybecomes sufficiently lcarburetedl for 'great illuminating-power withfy Having given a description of my invention,.- the following is what I 'claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1.` The employment of the; two Vair-forcing bells, filling `alternately and automatically, thusv supplying a constant air-blast, fas here': inbefore set forth.

2. I'do'not claim the arrangement and l plication of the perforated conical top and thef perforated horizontal bottom, as shown in Patent No. 45,568, and datedv December 20,1, 1.864.; but I claim the arrangement and application ofthe cones and inverted cones a a' q2, &c., placed base tol base and apex to apex, with the lines of perforationsb b', Figs. 6.and 7, alternating from center-'to circumference,

essentially in manner and to'operate as before' explained, I

3. The application of the air-tube E in the generator, toconduct the air through the top of the generator to the recess T at the bottom, to operate as beforedescribed.

. 4. The recess 'l1 at thebottom of the generator, making an lair-cushion', as before de` scribed.V i

' 5. Takingfthe gas from the' top of the gen- 4eratorthrough the air-bell C by means ofan air-tight jointmade by the annular cup O and the inverted thimble P, Fig. 5, substantially as hereinbefore described., 

